Candidates jostle to pose as defenders of US jobs against China

Mitt Romney with his wife, Ann. He will warn Ohio voters that President Obama is soft on ChinaBrian Snyder/Reuters

When in trouble, blame China. That’s what Mitt Romney plans to do this week when he sets out on a tour of the industrial heartland of Ohio, putting the travails of last week behind him.

Travelling by bus for three days through the key swing state, Mr Romney will warn voters that the car industry is under threat from illegal trade practices that make Chinese goods cheaper.

It is a message Mr Romney has drawn on before, hammering President Obama for not being tough enough with China. But as the last weeks of the election campaign unfold, both candidates keep returning to the issue, competing over which of them is better equipped to deal with the threat it poses to US industry.